Ellie and Joel Part VII : Welcome home
by Karinne
Summary: Set right after the end of the game, Joel and Ellie arrive at Tommy's and the young girl discovers something all new to her.


**Author's notes** : In this one, Ellie and Joel discover the very beginning of their new life together right after the Fireflies.

Just a little more to walk and they'll reach Tommy's town. Ellie's legs hurt, though she was quite muscular now. Even her arms were a bit bigger, too bad she sometimes hadn't eaten enough or had access to enough drinking water, therefore she didn't grow up much these last months. Her body lacked nutrients like calcium and proteins. She hoped Tommy would keep his word and gave them a house – at least, he told Joel there was a place for him there. They had had their differences and their resentment, she had always wondered why but had never dared asking Joel. Certainly, Sarah's death and the world falling apart had separated them somehow. And maybe Joel changed when his daughter died. He was a grumpy old man sometimes. And from time to time, he was the funniest and nicest guy she had ever met. She loved him very much during these moments. Ellie thought she had really triggered something in him, she was already wondering what had really happened with the Fireflies. Her female intuition told her that he did something wrong. But she was alive at least, and with him. So, for now, she had decided to give him a rest and not ask anything.

They went down a path directly leading to the main entrance of the town. Of course, guards were supervising the huge steel gate and they already had their weapons to them when they arrived, one of them began talking on the radio. Joel said:

"I'm Joel, Tommy's brother, and this is Ellie. She's with me."

The guard from up his turret talked on the radio, listened to the answer and then said:

"Wait here, Tommy's coming. We'll check you're not infected before you enter."

Ellie peeked at Joel, there was no way she could let them do. They didn't know about her condition, they'd kill her. He reckoned her anxiety.

"It's okay, Tommy knows about you, we'll see when he arrives."

The main gate suddenly emitted a loud noise as it started opening. Tommy appeared and looked at them, nodding. He and his brother hugged.

"You're alive," Tommy stated.

"As much as can be," Joel replied with a smile.

"Come in, don't stay outside."

Tommy gestured a thumb up to the guards and they all put their weapons down.

"So? Coming back finally huh?" Tommy began.

"Yeah, I think we're done, right Ellie?"

The young girl simply nodded, she suddenly felt very tired. The adrenaline going down.

"Did you guys find the Fireflies?"

"Yes… There's nothing they can do, actually."

Ellie kept her eyes on her feet, feeling sure it was a lie. Tommy's silence proved her right. She was sure Joel would tell his brother the truth when she's not around.

"I'll let you with Maria, she deals with the whole real estate stuff."

"Are you still sure?" Joel asked.

Ellie looked up at him, not sure why he would ask this.

Tommy stopped walking and looked at his brother with surprise.

"Of course, you're a pain in the ass but you're family. All the family I've left. And I guess you're all she has left."

He pointed to Ellie and she felt her heart break a little realizing how true these words were. Without Joel, she had no one. The thought was unbearable. Joel stared at her and nodded.

"Right."

"So, come on, let's find Maria."

Joel and Ellie followed her into the neighborhood. Ellie was amazed at all the houses they had built. Most of them were looking new and well maintained. She couldn't wait visiting one. Of course, she had already seen houses but they were all abandoned or flooded. These ones had white planks of wood on the outside with grey blinds and black rooftops. They even all had chimneys, a nice porch and a garden, more or less the same size apparently. It was a dream for the teenager. Her heart was beating a little faster as Maria said:

"This one seems appropriate. Garden, even a barbecue, nice space in the living-room, two bedrooms, a bathroom and a basement."

"Sounds nice, right Ellie?"

"Yeah, definitely."

She didn't know if her voice gave something away but they both turned to look at her when she replied.

"Let's go check the inside," Maria said, climbing up the porch little staircase.

She turned the key into the ignition and opened the door. The smell of fresh paint was pretty strong but not unpleasant. Ellie first noticed the perfect and clean wooden floor, the light that went through the kitchen windows and the nice staircase in front of them. The kitchen was equipped, there even was a fridge. And an oven, an oven! She couldn't believe her eyes.

"Joel, there's a fridge! Oh my God, a TV!"

She almost ran to it and observed it. The screen was pretty huge – to her at least, she laid on the couch and jumped quietly on it to test it. It was comfy. There was a dining table for four people on her right and the base of the chimney she had noticed earlier outside. She got back up in order to visit upstairs and caught Joel's eyes on her; he looked happy to see her like this. She smiled at him.

"Wanna go up, kiddo?"

"Oh yes!"

He and Maria followed her, not able to keep the pace. Especially Joel, he was really tired.

Ellie waited for them to join her and let Maria open the different doors. The first room was a nice one with white and grey colors. There was some furniture and a mirror. The other one was more for her. The walls were baby blue, the bed was less big than the first room, there was a desk. This would be her room.

"You like it?" Joel asked her.

She nodded and felt tears invading her vision. She wiped them quickly, embarrassed to cry in front of Maria. Who lowered her eyes, not wanting to bother the teenage girl. Joel put his arms around her shoulders.

"Come on, Ellie, it's okay."

"I know, I know. I just… I never had a home. This is all too much all of a sudden, I just need time to adjust."

"I understand, you like this house?"

"Yes."

"All of the houses kinda look the same anyway, you should see the bathroom at least too," Maria told them, pointing outside Ellie's room.

It was black and white; the door was just older than the others. Apart from that, it was fully functional. There was a shower. Ellie didn't have a real shower since she left the military prep school a year ago. She looked up at Joel and asked him:

"Do you like this house?"

"Yeah, I like it too."

"Are you sure? It's not only me."

"I do like it, don't worry about it."

She nodded.

"Maria, we'll take this one," Joel affirmed, sure of himself.

"Alright, let's go back downstairs. I'm gonna show you the circuit breaker panel and the water valve. You guys will have to wait two or three hours – maybe even more – to have hot water by the way. If you want, you can have a shower at our home, alright?"

"Okay," Ellie said quickly. She desperately needed a shower.

"Do you still have blackouts sometimes?" Joel asked while they went down to the basement.

"Not really, we improved our efficiency lately. The last blackout was five months ago, I think."

She activated the electricity and made sure it worked by turning all the lights on and checking the fridge and oven displayed light and the time. Everything was working well. Then, Ellie turned all the lights back off and sat with Maria and Joel at the table.

"So… This is just a piece of paper but it makes you owner of the house, okay?"

She began writing some stuff like the date and the address – there was an address? – and Joel said, right before Maria filled in the owner name.

"Make that 'Joel Miller and Ellie Williams'."

Maria peeked at Ellie who looked surprised and pleased at the same time.

"50/50?", Maria asked.

"Yeah," replied Joel.

Maria wrote their names and their shares and made them both sign.

"Don't lose it, right?"

"Not a chance," Joel said, smiling.

Maria walked to the door when he told her:

"Thank you, very much."

"It's normal. I'm going back to my house now, it's the reddish one at the end of the street. Grab your stuff if you wanna wash yourselves. There's everything you need in your wardrobes in your rooms."

Joel nodded. He closed the door behind her and looked at Ellie. The last time he was with a teenager in a house, it was Sarah. Now, it was her. He was really happy she was here.

"Well, welcome home."

She smiled and punched him lightly in the shoulder as she began getting emotional again.


End file.
